Apocalypse Know

I spent the better part of the last week in the bucolic climes of Wheaton, Illinois for the AstroGnosis2 conference. I updated the assemble seekers on the current hypostasis of our archons, being the seeming invasion and colonization of our world by what scholars from Keel to Raschke have called "ultraterrestrials," and what the ancients called "demons of the air."

The conference was held at the Theosophist Society HQ, which sits on a lovely and pastoral campus, ironically not far from Wheaton College (one-time epicenter of the Evangelical Movement). It all very much felt like a small college itself, and the building had that intoxicating aroma of stone and wood usually found in old churches or libraries.

Now, I'm not the world's biggest fan of Theosophy (essentially the genesis of the New Age movement), but not because I see it as some kind of spiritual fifth column. The days of intrigues are long since past. My brief with Theosophy boils down to a general lack of rigor and discernment. 

Granted, you can say the same about any number of organizations, including most major religious bodies, sadly. And it must be said that the people there were  genuinely nice and helpful. Just a lovely time was had by all.

And as it happens, my thesis was not entirely out of line with traditional Theosophist teachings:

In the late 19th century, the metaphysical term "planes" was popularized by H. P. Blavatsky, who propounded a complex cosmology consisting of seven "planes". The term aether ("ether") was adopted from Ancient Greek via Victorian physics that would later be discredited. The term "ether" was then incorporated into the writings of 19th-century occultists. 

The "etheric plane" and the "etheric body" were introduced into Theosophy by Charles Webster Leadbeater and Annie Besant to represent a hypothetical 'fourth plane', above the "planes" of solids, liquids, and gases. The term "etheric" was later used by popular occult authors such as Alice Bailey, Rudolf Steiner, and numerous others.

Of course, Bailey taught that the Archons - AKA the Watchers - are the good guys. That's kind of a thruline with a lot of Neo-Theosophist groups, most of whom ultimately evolved into creepy and authoritarian Space Brother cults. DEFINITELY not my cup of tea.

Significantly, most Neo-Theosophist groups and figures don't seem to get a lot of love at TSHQ. Bailey is not included in their pantheon (so to speak) and when I asked around, people generally seemed to be polite but a bit distanced when it came to her and the others. One of the librarians begged off by saying, "Wellllll, she kind of went off and did her own thing," as if Bailey were the black sheep of the family no one much cared to discuss. 

I got a bit of a chuckle out of that.

Either way, it was a fantastic experience overall, and many SSI students were in attendance. Things got a bit more problematic when it came time to leave...

A pretty nasty storm blew through town over the weekend but the real trouble kicked up on Monday, all across the eastern half of the country. Though the weather seemed tranquil in Chicago, apparently havoc was being wrought on the east coast, including New Jersey. 

So, as you'd imagine, my flight was delayed, delayed again, then canceled. 

I wasn't alone. There were hundreds of canceled flights and I had to take three flights - and a whopping ten hours of travel time - to get home. (it's usually an hour and a half flight). Power went out back home - of course - and stayed out for several hours as some stray tornados blew through town.

As I said, the entire eastern half of the country took a beating on Monday. So I took advantage of the layover to hang with my man Brandon and Miguel and his family in the incredibly lovely backwoods of Illinois. We even saw the biggest, most defined rainbow I've ever witnessed. 

It was all good until the next day when I had to deal with the throngs at four different airports. I generally like humanity best when I'm not among thousands of them. It's a little quirk in my programming.

Apparently we're in for more of the same. Granted, it IS summer, so I don't think you should be panicking quite yet. But all this is giving me a bit of a twinge based on some information I've been gleaning from the pop-sci sites...

... and that's about information of a coming solar maximum, after a long and weird period of relative quiet. There's a lot of talk this could gravely affect communications networks, something absolutely none of us need right now.

Especially given the fact, y'know, that my life is kind of a never-ending Knowing LARP, with me reluctantly cast in the Nic Cage role. "Reluctantly" meaning I'm not worthy to fill the great one's shoes and I know it.

In any event, let's all hope the LARP doesn't adhere to the plotline of the film. I'm inclined to believe it won't, but making predictions about forces majeure such as solar storms is a fool's game.

BTW: don't forget that Gnosis literally means "knowing."

Speaking of fool's games, we saw this inscrutable farce play out over in Russia, as the leader of the Wagner mercenary force staged what looks to me like a color revolution LARP, which some felt was staged on orders of the CIA or the Soros Group (but I repeat myself). 

I can't make heads nor tails of it and don't care to. My best guess was that it was a typical Russian salary renegotiation (they do things differently over there) or maybe it was all staged to make MSNBC and CNN talking heads look like stupider f**king a$$holes than they already are. 

As of this writing, those pesky Russkies just bombed the shit out of a hotel housing a large number of mercenaries and NATO troops, so maybe it was all some elaborate misdirection. Whatever - war sucks.

Until next time, stay frosty.

click on the Moon for details

Solar apocalypse notwithstanding, why don't you come join us at the Secret Sun Institute of Advanced Synchromysticism, a place dedicated to finding the others and learning to break the endless spells thrown our way.

For as little as $3 a month and access reams of information that will entertain, enlighten and fortify your spirit in these troubled times. 

Come for the scholarship, stay for the fellowship. 

 

Oh, wait. There's something I forgot. 

What is it?

Damn it, what was I thinking of?

Think, Chris, think! 

Oh, I remember: on the same day that half the country were experiencing our Knowing-like solar apocalypse dress rehearsal, guess what happened?

That's right: the Sibyl announced her new Sun's Signature release, just in time for my birthday! The cover art is an inverted negative of the first EP cover, and looks not unlike a famous movie Sibyl some of you may be familiar with.

I can't wait to see the next release. Incidentally, that cover art is by Robert Del Naja, who most observers believe is Banksy's secret identity.

Secret Sun stalwarts are well familiar by now with how forces beyond human reckoning seem to herald landmarks along the Sibyl's career path, and this latest apocalyptic announcement is no different. 

Here's just a little tiny taste from last year....

I knew straight away that we were in for a rough ride as soon as I heard the Sibyl was singing again, having over forty years of evidence - including some of the hairiest events of the Cold War - and a few thousand years of literature to back me up. And I suspected we were on the cusp of something bigger and more serious than the usual kind of crisis, something that would have profound and lasting implications for the entire world.

And it wasn't even 24 hours before that suspicion was confirmed, and then some. I mean, I figured it was something big but I wasn't expecting World War Three. And make no mistake - that's precisely what we're looking at now.

Speaking of the Sibyl, I stayed in the building housing the Quest Book Store, which is very well worth visiting if you're ever in the area. Note your host flying his XF colors, along with a band of fellow luminaries. 

So what does this have to do with our precious heavenly herald?

Well, the Sibyl is no stranger to Theosophy and its numerous outcroppings. Particularly Anthroposophy, seeing as she attended the Steinerite Emerson College UK. The first Sun's Signature EP's liner notes even site a number of Theosophist, Anthroposophist and Jungian texts as sources for her dire riddles, so the circle is complete. 

Speaking of "Underwater," cue the Sirens...

As in the Sirens and Titan, I mean.

And Ryan Mallett, onetime backup QB to Twim Brady, swam to the Sirens off of Panama City Beach yesterday. It was eerily similar to the Sibyl's beloved Shepherd Boy's last dip - Mallett had underestimated the Gulf's powerful riptides.

And checking the Wiki for the town listed as Mallett's official place of death, the coordinates zoomed me straight to the Twin Lakes, as anyone who's even glanced at this blog would surely come to expect.

Note Mallett also played for the Ravens. The significance of this?

The constellation of the Raven lies back-to-back with Virgo, better known as the Woman of Revelation 12. As you know, I believe the Sibyl is the embodiment of that Woman and was also born under the sign of Virgo.

I'll leave you with this...

I hope you do so soon. I really, truly do.